Summary: Practical strategies for population and health management using the Thuringian Forest goat as a model
To maintain the genetic variability of a breed, it is essential to selectively use animals and breeding lines that are related to each other as little as possible. Moreover, sufficient diversity can only be maintained if as many breeding farms as possible pass on offspring to other herds and if there is extensive exchange between breeding herds. For this, the need arises both to know the genetic distance between animals and to enable the exchange of breeding animals between breeding farms. In practice, however, the exchange of breeding animals is hindered by various factors, which are to be investigated and solved within the framework of this model and demonstration project. It is planned to investigate the genetic variability in the Thuringian Forest goat population with molecular genetic data beyond the known pedigree information. In addition, from as large a number of breeding animals as possible, both the existing health data will be collected and documented (status regarding caprine arthritis-encephalitis and pseudotuberculosis) and supplemented with the missing information (status regarding paratuberculosis, scrapie resistance). Based on the results of the molecular genetic analyses (regarding the genetic diversity as well as the occurrence of scrapie resistance alleles), a breeding program suitable for the Thuringian Forest goat will be developed in order to specifically increase the use of genetically valuable animals and thus the spread of the corresponding genetics in the population. The aim of a more intensive networking of breeders and genetic and health data of the breeding animals beyond the model project will contribute so that a higher transparency, new contacts and higher breeding motivation within the breeding community will be created and a nationwide breeding planning will be promoted.
Funding: Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE)
Duration: 04/21-03/24